Serpent Juliet
by AnaCarolinaZK
Summary: One-shot of Jughead giving Betty her serpent tattoo
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, it's been a long time since I don't write a fanfic. Hope you like this one :)**

 **_**

"Are you sure?" Jug asks me, once he notices my wince staring at the needle he was holding.

"Yes" I look up at him standing in front of me, but he raises his eyebrows with second thoughts. "Yes, Jughead. I am sure" I answer one more time.

Jug nods and pulls a chair to seat next to me. We argued into this a thousand times and I'm not giving up now that I finally convinced him that I want to be part of his world. His serpent world.

"Fine. But there's no way back" He says and I sigh, stretching my left leg over his, in a position that eases his view on my ankle.

"Right here" I show him and he takes a couple seconds to turn his eyes away from mine. He holds my foot with one hand and the tattoo machine with the other.

"Alright. If it hurts or you change you m-"

"Just do it"

Jug starts tattooing slowly, following the traces of the serpent he drew on it before. I know he is waiting to hear a moan or any sign of complaint, but I don't make any sound. It kind of burns but I expected the pain to be a lot worse.

A few minutes is passed till one of us say something. "Jug… Have you ever fallen in love? I mean, before…?" I ask, observing him.

He exhales deeply. "Of course I have, Betty" He replies, and before I can ask more about it, he continues "I fell in love with a couple books and a few stories"

Of course he wouldn't take this seriously…

"Jug…"

"No" He finally says and pulls out the needle of my skin before his eyes meet mine. "I'm a lonely weirdo, remember?"

"Not that lonely anymore" I give him a genuine smile that disappears pretty fast when he turns again and the needle meets my ankle. This time I let out a low moan.

"You're the first one, if that's what you wanted to know" he says with a sigh.

I feel a little guilty now. But once I said to him that I wanted to know all of him, and I really do.

"I wish I was your first too. The first person you fell in love with"

I take a second to understand what he means. "Jug… What I felt for Archie-ouch!"

"Sorry" he says "On bone it hurts more"

"What I felt for Archie wasn't love. I didn't know that by then, but I do now. I didn't even know love. You taught me that"

He remains expressionless, seeming to be focused on what he's doing. Or at least pretending to.

"You wanna know how I know that? Archie may be my best friend, but I would never join the serpents because of him" I say, and suddenly I don't feel the urge to pull my leg away from the needle anymore because the burning feeling somehow is not in my leg now. It's in my heart. "The weekend we spent together in the Lodge's house you said to me that my bedroom's window literally facing Archie's used to bother you. And that's true, he's always close to me, but Juggie… what you make me feel, even when you're far on the south side, it's not even a little close to what I used to feel with Archie next to me"

"Betty" he starts when the sound of the tattoo machine stops. He gently swipes his index finger where the tattoo is forming, wiping something. "Archie is not my third rail. Not anymore. I'm not insecure about-"

"I know, Jug. I just wanna make sure you know how I feel about you. And around you". The annoying noise starts again for a minute and then he puts the machine aside, wiping my ankle one more time.

His expression is so serious that I start to prepare myself to what comes next.

"So… You are my first one too…" I finish, lowering my head and letting my voice die in the air.

Another half minute slowly passes and he stops whatever he was doing now, and I can tell by his voice that he finally looks at me. "It's done". I look up just to give him a brief light smile in thank, and I low my gaze again to my hands, sighing.

I feel him touching my ankle gently, tracing the tint with his fingers. I look up to observe and I watch while he places a kiss just there. Jug pulls his chair even closer to mine and rests his arm on my leg standing on his lap. His body is turned to mine now, and his eyes locked to mine.

"Betty, I think that… I don't care if I'm the first one you fell in love with…"

His words hit me in the guts like a punch. I don't know exactly what he meant, but I look away because if I keep facing him now, he may watch all the repression that the perfect girl has suffered all these years drop in tears through my eyes. Every feeling of not being enough, and always trying to give the best to please everyone and be good at everything…

"…I only care if I'm the last one"

I look at him and a tear betrays me, going down my cheek.

"I love you, Betty Cooper" he smiles with such a love that it makes my heart starts burning again. Barely he knows that every time I hear those three little words coming from his mouth, a broken piece of me is fixed.

Jughead kisses me swiftly and softly, his forehead resting on mine when the kiss ends. "And yes Betty, I'm not lonely anymore" he whispers with his rusky voice. "It's official now, are you ready to be a serpent?"

"I know I'm ready to be in your world"

"Oh, you've always been, Juliet"

 **So what do you think? Please let me know, it's very important to me. Maybe if it's good enough I can write more one-shots or a story?**  
 **Sorry by my bad english btw, feel free to correct me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi : ) Some of you asked for more so I decided to write another chapter. Thanks so much for reading, hope you like this one as well.  
PS: Italic parts are memories from the episode when Betty throws him a party.**

Jughead's POV

This is ridiculous, I know. I used to hate when there was even a little bit of romance in the mystery books I like to read. But look at me know, admiring the girl I love, my own version of Nancy Drew, breathe slowly in her sleep. Right by my side.

My eyes run through her body - lying on stomach and half wrapped in sheets - and stop on her ankle where the serpent that I recently tattooed is. Her legs are crossed but I have a perfect view of it. Her skin is still a little swollen.

" _It's just that… sometimes when people do nice things for me, I short circuit. Maybe I'm not used to it…"_

I can't sleep with so many thoughts in my head. I was trying to connect all the clues of the Black Hood case in my mind when I suddenly caught myself observing her.

I like to think that I'm good at solving crimes and mysteries, but there is one in particular that I can't, even with hard work. The mystery of how Betty Cooper stole a heart. My heart.

"You really did, didn't you?" I whisper, even though I feel like a fool. I move a strand of her hair in attempt to look at her face. Damn, I could write a whole book about her, and it would be my favorite. The kind of favorite that you read ten times and still doesn't seem to be enough. I really do look like a fool, don't I?

"Did what?" Betty whispers back with her eyes closed. I can't tell if she's aware of our conversation or not. I take some seconds trying to figure that out and I get my answer when she moves her hand away from the pillow, looking for mine. She doesn't find it, so she opens her eyes. Her hand meets mine and our fingers intertwine.

She closes her eyes again, but only for a brief moment because she notices the delay in my response. She blinks a few times, there's barely light in the room so I can tell she's struggling with her tired eyes.

"… _Or maybe I'm scared. Of being hurt…"_

"I thought you were asleep" I say, not answering her question. I don't wanna look even more fool than I already feel.

"Can't sleep?" she asks me.

"Not really" I sigh.

"Want some company?"

"Go back to sleep"

My words seem to wake her and she finally opens her eyes completely.

"Jug, what's wrong?" She asks and suddenly we're not whispering anymore.

"Just… thinking about the whole Black Hood thing"

She hasn't bought it. She seats and stares me a couple seconds, analyzing me. I push the sheets away from me, getting up and heading to the fridge. I fill a glass with water and even with all the noise I'm doing, I still can hear the sound of her gasp.

"Is this another one of those moments that you try to push me away?" I don't answer her, leaning against the kitchen counter. She continues with a sweet and low voice "Jug, just come to bed… and we can talk about whatever is bothering you"

I take a sip from the glass, staring the floor.

"I knew at some point you would freak out about this tattoo" she unwraps herself from the sheets and stands up, taking a few steps towards me. She stops when I look at her.

"Betty, it's not about that"

"Yes, it is" her voice is sweet now. "The whole 'when people do nice things for me I short circuit' kind of situation. I know you're scared, Jug. It's your defense shield" she walks slowly towards me as she speaks, with a softer voice. "This tattoo is proof… Proof that I will not walk away from you. I'm right here, Jug". Betty is in front of me now, I try to look away but she doesn't let me as she does that thing that she always do when she wants to comfort me: hold my face with both of her hands.

She really knows me. Somehow, that scares me even more. She knew exactly what I was feeling when I couldn't even understand or put in words. I don't know why this upsets me so much. I know that at some point she will realize I'm not who she thought I were and walk away. I mean, family is supposed to be together, right? Well, my mother and sister aren't here.

"Betty… I'm sorry but I think I need to be by myself now"

I don't know what got into me, or why I'm feeling like this. My words hit her and her arms falls each side of her body. A minute is passed and silence remains. I'm staring the floor between us, and a painfull sting hits my heart in a big wave as I notice her full fists. No. No, no, no.

"Betty" I hold her hands to make it stop. "I didn't mean to… I'm sorry" I look at her palms but… There's nothing there. No marks. Nothing.

"Jug, I wasn't… You cured me" she says as a light smile covers her mouth. There's so much love in her words, her voice, her eyes, her touch. We both have our inner demons, but somehow we make it work when we are together. The sting of a couple seconds ago is gone now. My heart is filled with nothing but pure love. Betty is not my mother nor my sister. She has never let me down and has done nothing else but proof her loyalty to me. She is one of a kind. She is my Betty. Betty Cooper.

"I'm sorry" I tell her. I hate when I let her see my insecurities.

"… _Or scared of being rejected for being myself."_

"Don't be. I love you the way you are, Jughead" Betty says, leaning to kiss me as she holds my face with both hands right before her fingers go up through my hair to take off my beanie. I feel so much love in my heart that only now I realize that all the fear faded away.

"You cure me, Betty" I whisper against her lips and I can feel her smile against mine.

 **Pleeeeease, review! It's so important to me. Should I write more? If you have any requests, feel free to say. And again, sorry for any english writing mistakes.**


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